Should I remove the lathe and plaster ceiling?

[Amateurbutkeen]

Hi

I'm renovating my new (but old!) house. The ceilings on the first floor are all original lathe and plaster. I'm planning on pulling them down now as I know it makes a right mess and then boarding and skimming them.

Issue is we plan to do a loft conversion (can't afford to do it yet) and concerned that doing the loft conversion will damage the ceilings and I'll just have to fix them again.

However, I'm hoping that any damage will be minimal any easily fixed and that this is better than trying to pull down lathe and plaster ceilings when we do the loft as but the. The rooms will be decorated and carpeted.

Is it best to rio them down now?

Cheers

 

[Burnerman]

Any movement or thumping above a lath and plaster ceiling is sure to give it a hard time, and it will crack for sure.....you can always overboard it now, of course and contain it all.
Personally I'd bring it down and then reboard and skim, but the mess will be indescribable!
Once the loft conversion is done, any reskimming is straight forward enough if necessary.
John

 

[TheVictorian]

Bring them down now, it's a messy job but one that is best done as early as possible during renovations.

If you subsequently damage your new plaster boarded ceiling when doing the loft then it is easy enough to repair.

Removing a lathe and plaster ceiling is undeniably messy work, but if you are careful, seal the room and clean as you go then it isn't all that bad. I speak to experience after removing 5 of them in my house so far. You'll also be suprised at how much plaster and wood you have to dispose of afterwards - this is a job for a skip, not trips to the tip!

 

[Jackrae]

With respect to mess control, as has been said - seal the room but also fit a large extractor fan into one of the windows (12" preferable) and run this to create a partial vacuum in the room. That way all the dust is "sucked' out

 

[Jameswren]

Can you remove the flooring above the ceilings? If so, give the ceilings a vacuum, to remove the loose dust, then smash them from above.

Seal the door with masking tape, spray water to catch the dust and open a window.

It's going to be messy whatever you do but you can reduce it a lot.

The lathes will probably but very easily, so chuck em on the bonfire.

 

[geraldthehamster]

There's no reason why a properly-done loft conversion should damage the ceiling below.

If your ceilings are in good condition I would leave them be. Why make unnecessary work and mess?

Cheers
Richard